River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-04-14
THREE SCENES INALIFE.

Not much iO See-Ouly blood stains
ID ihe Ioor ii a gambling-saIoon al
Foudrierc. al trace, of which the at
PENDANTS were hastily removing. not
much t. hear only the footsteps OF
those who we're carrying ont the dead
and the lille comments Of PLAYERS and
ioUuger>-
Not "a ease Of suicide. said one Of
the haLitue- to IN English officer stand
ing near the doors. -. no. He burst
i blood-vcSseI IN hf- intense excitement.
..nI died almost instantly. An English
mau5 Wen, yr-. think -o-husband
Il tbs pretty girI We saw Yesterday At
III Establishment. Very in She
IaoEaI. aud quite q young child was at
ler -idc.
And then arose the cry Of ..Faites lie
lel. me-~ieur-r and the death-~ccne
aa- forgotten. and the gamblers re-
Hned their absorbing play.
y mall apartment in a quiet street.
.ad 9 girl leaning from an open case
meut gazing at the peaceful sky Her
i.-c was very pale. with deep shadows
aader the ewes, telling Of many Il weary
tI-I like that which she was then
keeping.
Would he retrieve all. a. ne had a.
-ur'd her2 Would terrible losses Of the
past weeks BE- repaired in few Shcrt
haur~3 - he had said, and 80 believ-
~. aud in hearing him She believed
also.
And now would the long hours never
pass would hc never Gomez She look
III around III the neat, but poor room.
Fl tiie sleeping child. aud al the little
table with the white roll and flask of
cheap wiue-alr their -canty means
would allow her % provide then.
turning AGAIN To the window. She re
-umed her lonely watch. ~hivering
slightly a~ the breeze ruiiied her soft
brown curlS and the ni.ht-birdS' cry
tell ou the stiffness Of the deserted
street
Nut many months before Harry
Vaughan, with his wife and child. had
arrived q Fuudriere. lie was an
artist. ana hoped ~ "a winter among
fairsr -ccHe- and IN mii,ler air to re-
eruit hi- faiIiug health and find fresh
subjects for bis pencil.
II was ON one Of hi ~ketchiug eX-
cHr>.ou> that he formed the acquain-
taEce If Young Frenchman. who
tempted him into "a gaming saloon
with no other Thought than that of
passing away an idlc hour. But the
consequence IF that one visit had been
fatal Several mel had been winning
heavily, and the excitement Of play en-
tered like madness iuio he brain IF the
Young Eu@Ii~hmau. and he ~taked
3gJIn and ag1-n->mall sums. certain
IL. but still enough to feed the flame of
Gambling within him. for hc won every
time.
A. the Young wife leaned from the
easement she dWcit with fcveri>n resent
mcat anon tho events of the last day
how the yeau1 Frcuchnln who had first
awak mel III Harry the love ofplay had
been shocked ~ the misery he had 80
uuwittiugiy c..U-od. and had pressed on
him the loan Of 100 francs. ex1cting the
promise that If he tried his luck once
again ami failed he would at once and
forever give up the gaming table and
return Is hi~ work
Flushed with hope. and with strong
determination 10 keep his word Harry
hade Margaret aj.cu with more than
usual tenderness. md Went out. a. he
said, ..tO conquer iate.
Some of the spirit entered into the
poor gJrl heart ana filled il for q brief
moment with hope Then. in an agony
II fear and love- She called him back
and impIOrcd him, with tears and >obs.
whether he lost or won, never To enter
"a gambling again.
II VIII promise YOU. dear, he said.
SritE putting her gently from him, and
~ went osi ro meet his doom
l!euuuld never win cor lose again
AMI newer more would Margaret keep
her lonely watch for his dear sake
strangers bands had laid him To rest in
the quiet .rJveyarJ; and now, with
gyarle-- agouv. Margaret kuclt alone
beside her sleeping child.
They had nothing left. and without
iaud h,r child must die.
Suddenly % burning flush mounted to
hyr brow. and. starting To her feet, she
drew the wedding ring from her wasted
finger. and. kissing il pa>>ionatelv.
hurried from the room. a il fearful that
her resolution might give way.
4 little LATER. with few francs
l8-p,, in her burning hand. she hast
cusJ 30 o. the peer room she called
Fer .ur. Aut the gaming saloon where
her husband had died not many days
before
lis r. not true. III, kept repeating
sa herself. ..that i new PLAYER always
wins Then shall win, and. mutt
t,riu- the same words again and again.
She passed uuchaIIcugcd through the
wilc-oryn doors. UP the splendid stair
ease. ami into large saloon where men
aud women. in silent. terrible earnest.
were gambling at the tables
Margaret >takcd two or three francs
with frveri~h haste
The English officer Cait Mo>tyn-
who had Witnessed herhu>hlud'~ death,
now stood iuteutIy regarding her II,
moved rC<tlc~>ly. n If impelled against
his will t. interfere.
Unknown 70 herself and all around
fever had taken hold Of the weakened
frame and lent fictitious strength aut
fictitious courage To the de>pairing girl
and with 4 daring reCSle>sneSs sh,
-.aked and won until a small pile o
gold Iav before herdazzled ewes. Their
the tension Of her nerves gave way an,
with low cry she fell forward in
dead faint
Springing To her side without +:
moments delay Cape: Mostyn. who ha'
been auNiousIy watching all that Oc
cUrred- lifted the poor Girl in his arm
and carried her out %: the sitting AZ
mo~phcre # the saloon. followed By
Young medieval student to whom he IA,
been talking
Finding their efforts to restore her I,
consciousness unavailinS, Mostyn sal,
hurricdly to his companion.
Bring her down TO my carriage
Is wa ting. Ny sister VIII do what W
cannot. Then. once outside. b
calle 10 the cOachman: 10 the Hote
Diem; and drive quicklyr'
The impatient horses. which ha
been chatting restleSlv for more than III